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| March 09, 2010 |
| Industry News: Supertune USA - February Report |
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 | Barlow won the Saturday Rotax Junior main in his first FWT start
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Following a great kickoff to its 2010 campaign in January, Supertune USA upped the wick in February to produce even better tallies across the Florida Winter Tour and Championship Karting International schedules. With a driver lineup that approached twenty, Supertune was once again on pole, podium and winning with fastest laps in both the Florida Winter Tour and Florida Cup.
“The results are very satisfying, especially now that we have won races in Mini-Max, Junior and Senior at the highest levels in North America,” said Supertune USA Technical Director Ben Cruttenden. “However, there is never time to rest and as always we are working hard at the track and on the dyno to keep a step ahead. A lot of people have been noticing the results, and as we go forward now we strive to maintain the consistency and add to what has been a strong start to the year in Florida.”
After claiming a pair of wins and eleven podiums in the first month of its season, Supertune USA powered drivers eclipsed that with three wins, three poles, and fifteen podiums in February. Speaking even more to consistency across a range of classes, Supertune USA drivers set an incredible eleven fastest laps during the month coming from six different drivers across four different classes! Included among the group of pilots to turn the quickest of times were J3 Competition drivers Alessandra Madrigal and Richard Benitez at CKI, and FWT drivers Gary Carlton, Matt Parry, Jack Barlow and Kyle Kirkwood.
Parry and Barlow were especially impressive at Palm Beach International Raceway as the British Junior duo debuted in America. Each was familiar with the Supertune brand from racing back home, and after meeting with Cruttenden in the PBIR paddock neither driver had any concerns about power.
“I was comfortable because of the reputation Supertune has and in the fact that my mechanic from Dan Holland Racing knew Ben from England,” said Barlow, who was running with Supertune power for the first time. “Racing in Florida was like a dream come true and when I got the chance I didn’t want to be just making up numbers, I wanted to be in the trop three and winning - that’s a reason we chose Supertune as well, because we heard from people both in England and America that Supertune USA was getting the results.”
Barlow certainly helped maintain that image, as after qualifying ninth for the Saturday run he worked to the front row in the prefinal and won the main event, setting the fastest lap of the field in the process. Sunday he qualified on the front row, and after crossing fourth in the prefinal was right back on the podium after the main when he added second to his win from a day earlier.
Parry was also on a tear in the Junior field, setting the fastest lap in winning the Saturday prefinal, and returning with the fastest lap in both the Sunday prefinal and main events. A pair of top-ten finishes were all he could show for his efforts, but if not for contact on both days he might well have created a British invasion on the FWT podium.“I had the speed to win,” Parry said after also running Supertune for the first time. “I felt really comfortable with our decision because I know Ben’s dad, Tony, and that he’s very good. I knew I would have the power. The racing was really good, harder than I expected, and the track was awesome but I just didn’t have any luck.”
Supertune power was certainly making its mark in the junior field, as at one point Dore Chaponick Jr. and Jack West joined Parry and Barlow in giving Supertune USA four of the top five karts running on track. Supertune was also firmly in the front-end action of Senior fields in both CKI and FWT action. Benitez took pole and finished second on Saturday at the Florida Cup, and on Sunday he swept the day with pole, prefinal and final. Gary Carlton ran Supertune in his Rotax debut at FWT, and had all eyes on him over both days. He was second on his debut, and Sunday, after being forced to start dead last in the LCQ after losing his airbox in qualifying, Carlton promptly won to move into the prefinal proper, and worked to P15. In the main he was on a mission, and by the time the checker waved he was on the podium for the second straight day.
March brings another trio of Florida events for Supertune USA, this time beginning with Florida Cup action and ending with a Formula Kart weekend. The inaugural CKI Florida Cup concludes this coming weekend at Homestead, followed in consecutive weekends by the Florida Winter Tour Rotax Max Challenge finale and Formula Kart finales at Ocala Gran Prix. Those interested in Supertune USA power are encouraged to approach Ben Cruttenden at Ocala, and visit http://www.supertuneusa.com |
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